Omaha daily bee., 1887-06-20
THE STATES PROSPERITY.
How Broken Bow Secured It's Name and the
Towns Remarkable History.
THE BOOM AT CRETE STILL ON
Enterprises at Kearney Which Are
Rapidly Pushing the Town to the
Front-Prosperous Business
at Seward.
Broken Bows Remarkable His tory

Broken Bows Remarkable His tory
BROKEN Bow, Neb., June 17.-[Corre.
spcndence of the BEE. We have been a
constant reader of the BEE for the last
year, and in some OF Its recent issues
have noticed articles con ncerning the
Great State of Custer" We are always
proud to see in print, notes and sayings
of and about this one spot in the heart of
Nebraska that clothes, feeds and keeps
in employment or in some substantial
manner supports $4,000 honest, law
abiding citizens but it seems rs though
few jealou fellowmen have come among
us and are endeavoring to tear down the
only point within radius Of 100 miles
that has any substantial future or show
whatever of supplanting in the midst of
this vast country, that ten years ago was
a lot of cattle ranges and Indian hunting
grounds, II point centrally located that
in size and capabilities will equal Grand
Island or kearney as trading point and
city in general, where everything
can be bought and sold and
where factories and other indus
tries will locate, or, in other words,
become to this part of Nebraska what
Omaha is to the whole state. While
Custer county has several good towns of
from fifty to two hundred inhabitants,
that have been written up for your col
umns and have ut the same time ex-
pressed their opinion in regard to the
division of this county, we have failed to
observe the first encouraging word for
In t.t,rn ntt nv # fhn Ia, not NJ q
are not jealous, not at all, but we be.
lieye that if the corners of Custer county
are allowed a representation in your col.
umns, that Broken Bow and its adjoin
ing territory, or the real valuable aud
beautiful part of the county will be shown
due respect.
Broken Bow has been written too
many times for us to bother with dates
of plating, etc, but suffice to say that
six years ago to-day where Broken Bow
now stands was corntield, and that the
first building erected here that year was
sod building, which stands to-day, the
old and only land mark to remind one of
the former days when prospects were
less encouraging than they are now. An
other strange feature of the starting of
this city is that the first real business
started here was the publishing of the
Custer County Republican, the office oc-
corner" From the moment this sheet
issued forth to the world and gave glow
ing descriptions of this valley and county
in general, the future and identity was
established ana Broken Bow began to
grow. There were three or four farmers
living within mile of this spot at that
time and they began devising plans
whereby the future city would become
real. One of tho characteristics of the
,1n,, ,tx Nf b,, tfyyi r., hn
production Of one of these sturdy farm
ers who were endeavoring to and lending
a helping hand or making a welcome
suggestion for its benefit. As the story
goes. Broken Bow, or rather the ground
upon which the city stands, was
once an Indian fighting ground,
and during one Of these encounters,
one of these American braves broke
the bow with which he was fighting. He
years, Just as this town was being started,
one of the tillers found this bow, as il lay
on the ground, broken in two. He imme-
diately suggested the name. and from that
date our magic city has been known all
over the west as Broken Bow, or, the
queen city of the northwest.
The first three years the growth OF the
town was small on account OF the terrible
inconvenience the people were put to
about getting lumber to build with and
other material necessary to make exist
ence possible. But after three years had
passed away a new turn In affairs seemed
to take place and the town began to pros
per. The roads were lined with "pralrie
schooners" and strangers were thick
everywhere. Government land was taken
every day by the thousands of acres, and
as Broken Bow was the county seat, the
only place for filing on land, except the
United States land office, the influx of
strangers into the town was simply i'm.
mense.
Tee demand for more buildings and more
room, became the great trouble and car.
penters were busy from morning till
night putting together rs fast as possible
| the numerous structures that We're being
continually contracted for: New firms
built. A stage line between this point
and Plum creek was established and as
high as twelve passengers a day were
| carried to and from the railroad, and
from one to three spring wagons did ser
vice as coaches. In this way route was
established whereby strangers could come
and reach this inland city within ten
hours after leaving the railroad. This
| short route had tendency to increase
ers and spectators. About this time 9
second paper was started here, called tho
Leader. With two papers to set forth
its advantages, the seat of gov
| ernment established here and the
splendid soil to suDstantiate the state
ments Of its friends, the future was toe
convincing for the entcrprsng visitor.
and the result was that at the age of foul
years Custer county's capital was bust
ling little village OF about 300 souls.
The increase of population was in s
like ratio throughout the county, anC
when the census was taken in 1885 Custer
county's total was something over 1900
inhabitants.
The field was little too tempting, and
in the spring of 1886 the Is. q Nj. com
pauy began the extension of their lin,
from Grand Island under new charter
and name, the new extension being called
the Grand Island & Wyoming Centra
railway. The distance from Crane
Island to Broken Bow is eighty miles
hence the track was not laid inside tn,
corporate limits of the city until som,
time in August. For year previous t.
this Broken Bow had been considered
live and energetic town, bu
after the arrival of the iro,
horse q new start seemed to have takel
place, and where month before it wa
enterprise and business, it was then ex
citement and boom. People tlocked t,
the town by the hundreds, and ere snow
fell in the fall Broken Bows pODulatiOI